Geranium plant named ‘KLEP02060’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy  Geranium  plant named ‘KLEP02060’, characterized by its trailing plant habit; freely branching plant habit; early flowering habit; pastel pink-colored double flowers; and good tolerance to rain, wind and high temperatures.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Pelargonium peltatum cultivar KLEP02060.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘KLEP02060’.

The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Ivy Geraniums with uniform and freely branching plant habit, trailing plant habit and interesting flower and foliage coloration.

The new Ivy Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 1998 of the Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Klegatta, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/250,016, now abandoned, as the female, or seed, parent with the Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Kleblue, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/250,014, now abandoned, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar KLEP02060 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the resultant progeny from this cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany, in June, 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since 2000 has shown that the unique features of this new Ivy Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘KLEP02060’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘KLEP02060’ as a new cultivar and distinguish it from other known Ivy Geranium cultivars:

1. Trailing plant habit.

2. Freely branching plant habit.

3. Early flowering habit.

4. Pastel pink-colored double flowers.

5. Good tolerance to rain, wind and high temperatures.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Klegatta, plants of the new Ivy Geranium are more freely branching. In addition, plants of the new Ivy Geranium and the cultivar Klegatta differ in flower color as plants of the cultivar Klegatta have white-colored flowers. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium differ primarily from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Kleblue, in flower coloration as plants of the cultivar Kleblue have violet-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivar Kleropink, not patented. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Ivy Geranium differed from plants of the cultivar Kleropink in the following characteristics:

1. Leaves of plants of the new Ivy Geranium had a more distinct zonation pattern than leaves of plants of the cultivar Kleropink.

2. Flower color of plants of the new Ivy Geranium was lighter pink than flower color of plants of the cultivar Kleropink.

3. Flowers of plants of the new Ivy Geranium had more petaloids than flowers of the cultivar Kleropink.

4. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium were more tolerant to outdoor weather conditions than plants of the cultivar Kleropink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower and foliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Ivy Geranium.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘KLEP02060’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the cultivar KLEP02060 have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants that were planted in January in Stuttgart, Germany, and grown under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 18 to 22° C., night temperatures ranging from 14 to 17° C. and light levels ranging from 20,000 to 60,000 lux. Plants were pinched once during the production period. The photograph and botanical description were taken about 15 weeks after planting rooted young plants.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Pelargonium peltatum cultivar KLEP02060.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Klegatta, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/250,016, abandoned.

Male parent.—Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Kleblue, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/250,014, abandoned.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 10 days at 22° C. Winter: About 11 days at 18 to 20° C.

Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About 17 days at 22° C. Winter: About 18 days at 18 to 20° C.

Root description.—Fine and white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Trailing plant habit; plants roughly spherical in shape; uniform; densely foliated.

Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous. Freely branching, about five lateral branches per plant.

Plant height (to top of flower umbels).—About 25 to 29 cm.

Plant height (to top of foliar plane).—About 18 to 24 cm.

Plant width.—About 18 to 22 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 8 to 10 cm. Internode length: About 2 to 3 cm. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: 143C.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About five to eight. Length: About 5 cm. Width: About 7 cm. Shape: Reniform with lobation. Apex: Rounded. Base: Peltate. Margin: Entire. Venation pattern: Palmate. Texture: Rough. Color: Expanding foliage, upper surface: 137B. Expanding foliage, lower surface: 137C. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137C. Venation, upper surface: 137C. Venation, lower surface: 137D. Zonation pattern: Distance from leaf margin: About 2 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Color: 147A. Petiole: Length: About 3.5 to 4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 137D.

Flower description:

Flower arrangement.—Pastel pink-colored double flowers arranged in rounded hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayed above and beyond foliage on upright peduncles. Umbels persistent, flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; at full flower, plants have at least about six to eight open and developing umbels with about 10 to 18 flowers and flower buds per umbel.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In the garden, flowering is continuous from spring until fall, with flowering heaviest during periods when night temperatures are 15 to 20° C.

Time to flower.—Early flowering; plants start flowering about 82 to 86 days after planting rooted young plants.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five to eight days on the plant.

Umbel size.—Height: About 8 cm. Diameter: About 8 to 12 cm.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 3 cm. Depth (height): About 2 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 8 to 12 mm. Diameter: About 4 to 6 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Color: 139C.

Petals.—Quantity per flower: About 12 to 18. Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 8 to 12 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: 68A. When opening, lower surface: 69C. Fully opened, upper surface: 68B; color does not fade with age. Fully opened, lower surface: 69C. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 68A.

Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: One to about six. Length: About 3 to 10 mm; irregular in size. Width: About 1 to 4 mm; irregular in size. Shape: Variable, irregular. Apex: Mostly rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Mostly entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: 68A. When opening, lower surface: 69C. Fully opened, upper surface: 68B; towards the base, 68A; color does not fade with development. Fully opened, lower surface: 69C; towards the base, 69D. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 68A.

Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single whorl. Length: About 5 to 8 mm. Width: About 3 to 5 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Rough. Color, upper surface: 139C. Color, lower surface: 139D.

Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 16 to 20 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent; rough. Color: 143C.

Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1.0 to 1.5 mm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: 143B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity per flower: Five. Anther length: About 3 mm. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther color: 58D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 32C. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma shape: Five-parted, star-shaped. Stigma color: 54B. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color: 54D. Ovary color: 139D. Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Geraniums.

Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Geranium have been observed to tolerate rain, wind, temperatures from about 8 to 32° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plant named ‘KLEP02060’, as herein illustrated and described. 